Thousands Visit Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri for Snana Purnima Festival

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, on Saturday to celebrate the Snana Purnima festival. This special occasion involves bringing Lord Jagannath and his siblings out of the sanctum sanctorum to the Snana Mandap for ceremonial baths.

Chief Minister’s Visit

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the festival and paid his respects at the temple. He said, “Today evening on the eve of the Snana Purnima festival I received the darshan of Gajanan Bhesh of Lord Jagannath in the evening and was blessed by the lord. I have prayed for the prosperity of the people of Odisha.” He also prayed for the welfare of the people and the success of the upcoming Sri Gundicha Ratha Yatra.

Ceremonial Baths and Gajanana Besha

The deities underwent ceremonial baths on a special platform with 108 pitchers of sacred water. They were then adorned in Gajanana Besha, resembling Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity. This is one of the rare occasions when the deities are publicly visible, allowing devotees a close view ahead of the famous Rath Yatra.

Historical Significance

Researchers mention that this unique darshan was first granted to Pandit Ganapati Bhatt from the Mahaganapatya community in Maharashtra during the 15th century. Bhatt, a devoted follower of Lord Ganesha, traveled to the ancient shrine in Puri hoping to see Lord Ganesha in Lord Jagannath. On Snana Purnima day, he observed the ‘Chaturdha Murti’ (four idols) on the Snana Mandap but was disappointed. It is believed that Lord Jagannath, disguised as a ‘sebayat’ (temple servitor), encouraged Bhatt to return to the Sri Mandir, where he witnessed the cherished vision of Lord Ganesha. Since then, the deities are adorned in ‘Gajanan Besha’ every year on this sacred occasion.